Everyone who watched coverage of the World Championships this year no doubt noticed Michael Phelps new distinct lope in his freestyle. I know a lot of other swimmers do this too, and their freaking fast, so this morning I asked my coach about it. She looked at me quizzically and said it's a very bad habit to have and if you don't do it naturally just forget about it.
But, Phelps didn't have this very obvious lope up to now, and he just broke 5 world records with it. So it doesn't seem like it can be that bad. I'm not to prove my coach wrong, I'm just curious.
So if anybody knows anything, please share. Why does it make some fast and for others it could be considered a bad habit? What's the trick to learning it? If it is a bad habit, why did Phelps bother to pronounce it?
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Seagurl51;87641
That's what I was thinking too. When I was messing around it seemed like I could exaggerate the undulation which is obviously gonna make you go farther. Even without exaggerating it, I still felt like I was doing more with my body. Seems like an undulating motion would be better than the side to side rolling.
Actually, I find that I do a bit of both (the rolling is ingrained. I only do the lope when I consciously want to accelerate; it's almost like trying to throw myself forward in the water and catching myself before I fall. I guess it's the H2O equivalent of running -or stumbling- downhill).
It's not really a full corkscrew motion, The side-to-side is still there but I'm more aware of (kinda') throwing or willing my body forward.
Seagurl51;87641
That's what I was thinking too. When I was messing around it seemed like I could exaggerate the undulation which is obviously gonna make you go farther. Even without exaggerating it, I still felt like I was doing more with my body. Seems like an undulating motion would be better than the side to side rolling.
Actually, I find that I do a bit of both (the rolling is ingrained. I only do the lope when I consciously want to accelerate; it's almost like trying to throw myself forward in the water and catching myself before I fall. I guess it's the H2O equivalent of running -or stumbling- downhill).
It's not really a full corkscrew motion, The side-to-side is still there but I'm more aware of (kinda') throwing or willing my body forward.
